The present invention relates to a hydraulic clutch actuation system having a hydraulic clutch control device which includes at least one clutch master cylinder that communicates via a pressure-medium line with a clutch slave cylinder used for actuating a clutch device, the pressure prevailing in the pressure-medium line being relievable via at least one emergency release valve device to permit disengagement of the clutch device in an emergency situation.
The clutch devices are preferably friction clutches. The hydraulic clutch actuation system is also described as a hydraulic clutch-release system, which includes at least one manually or automatically actuated master cylinder and at least one slave cylinder that disengages a clutch device. In the case of so-called external pressure-operated clutches, the clutch is disengaged in the force-free state of the clutch, and the frictional engagement for connecting an internal combustion engine and a transmission is accomplished by actuation of the slave cylinder and holding the same under pressure via the master cylinder. For twin clutches, in particular, in which a shared input part branches off to two output parts, each having one transmission input shaft, this type of clutch actuation is advantageous. Should both or one of the clutch control devices, also described as clutch release devices, fail, for example due to loss of pressurizing medium, then these clutches remain disengaged and do not lock the transmission, as do clutches, for example, that are normally engaged in the force-free state. In addition to their use in manually operated transmissions, friction clutches of the mentioned type are typically used in automated transmissions, such as in automated manual transmissions (AMT) or twin-clutch transmissions (TCT), which are generally controlled by a control unit, the clutch operation, as well as engagement and disengagement of the gears being automated. Should such a control unit fail, then, depending on the control strategy being used, the situation can arise that the clutch position of one clutch, respectively in a twin-clutch transmission, of both clutches, freezes, with the result that the operation of the internal combustion engine can no longer be controlled independently of the transmission output speed and, thus, of the wheel speed, i.e., in the case of a vehicle at standstill, it is no longer possible to operate the internal combustion engine in order to sustain auxiliary systems. For example, in the event of failure of the transmission control, the pressure prevailing in the pressure-medium line can be relieved by an emergency release valve device in order to disconnect a clutch that no longer disengages.